John c



(No Model.)

J. GqSTURGBoN. TILL ALARM LOCK.

No. 305,766. Patented Sept. 3.0, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIcE.

JOHN OQSTUBGEON, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM VABNUM, OF SAME PLAGE.

TILL ALARM-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 305,766, dated September 30, 1884.

Application tiled July 16, 1883. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN C. STUEGEON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Erie, in the State of Pennsylvania,

have invented a new and useful Till Alarm- Lock, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in -till alarm-locks having lever-tumblers operating a locking-lever arranged so that any one or more of them may be used in combination to operate said locking-lever, -the combinations of the lever-tumblers being changeable, and having an alarm-gong operated by the movement of the lock-frame.

y The objects of my improvement are, first, to construct the lever-tumblers in the lock each in a single piece with two pointsof vibration, which may be alternately used for changing the combination; second, to construct an oscillating lock-frame carrying all of the mechanism of the lock, and hung on bearings on the bed-plate of the lock for operating the bell-hammer; third, to so construct the lock that the combinations of the lever-tumblers can be readily changed without removing or disarranging any portion of the lock; fourth, to simplify the mechanical construction of the lock and alarm, and facilitate thereby their operation.

I attain these obj ects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which-d Figure l is a perspective view of my improved till alarm-lock. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of my device, showing the relative positions of lever-tumblers in and out of combination, with the latch of the locking-lever engaging the catch in the till-cover. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an alternative construction of my device, showing the action of the levertumbler in combination in unlocking the till, and the latch of the locking-lever disengaged from the catch in the till-cover. Fig. 4t is a perspective view of an alternative construction of mylever-tumbler, and also a section of 4the support therefor.

Similar letters refer to like parts of my device throughout the several views.

Theframe of my lock is constructed of a bedplate, B, which has ears l? I" extending 5o downward, and also openings through which the side plates of the oscillating fra-me and the lower ends of the lever-tumblers project. To the ears I? P' at p p' are hinged the side plates of the lock-frame A A'. These side 55 plates are kept in place by means of rods or braces u a' u", and the bolt E, which passes entirely through the lock-frame holding it together, and at the same time forming a supi port or bearing for the lever-tumblers D, D', 6o D", D3, and D4. These lever-tumblers are constructed with U- shaped openings through them near their centers, the arms of said openings being designated as d d', (see Figs. 2 and 3,) either arm of this U-shaped opening forming the bearing upon which the levertumbler rests and vibrates upon the supporting-rod E. rIhe lower ends of the lever-tumblers extend downward through openings for that purpose in the bed-plate B, below the bot- 7o tom of the lock, a sufficient distance to connect with the down-pull wires J J', &c.,which connect the lever-tumblcrs with ordinary fmger-pieces ou the under side of the till, and not shown in the drawings. The tumbler-le- 7 5 vers D D', Snc., are kept at a suitable distance apart by means of washers T on the support'- ing-rod E between them. The upper ends of the lever-tumblers D D', &c., are made of suitable shape, (preferably as shown in the draw` 8o ings,) to operate under the locking-lever G, hereinafter described. On the front sides of the lever-tumblers D D', 8m., I construct short arms R B', Snc., to which I attach springs I I', &c., as shown in Figs. l and 2. The other ends of the springs I I', Snc., I attach to suitable hooks or lugs, O O', Src., on the front edge of the bed-plate B.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 3, I dispense with the arms B Ii', Src., and 9o fasten the upper ends of the springs directly to the tops of thelever-tumblers, as shown, and the lower ends of the two outside springs, I and I", I attach to lugs O and O* on the bedplate B. The three remaining springs, I', I2', 95 and I3, I attach to hooks L, &c., attached to the brace a" of the oscillating frame A A', either form of construction operating satisfactorily. The springs I I', &c., operate in a double capacity. First, they retain the lever-tumblers D D', the., seated in their bearings on the rod E in proper position, and second, they hold the oscillating lock-frame A A' in its normal position, their elasticity only permitting it to be forced back to ring the alarm-gong, as hereinafter described. rlhe locking-lever C is hinged in the upper ends of the loek-frame A A' at c, and extends outward so that its inner edge rests upon the apex of the lever-tu1n bler, in combination, as shown in Figs. l and 3,/and has upon its upper side a latch, C'. The locking-lever C vibrates up and down freely upon its bearings c, and when the till is locked, the latch C' engages with the catch l in the till-cover, thelockingdever @resting upon such of the lever-tumblers D D', &c., as are arranged in combination, and retaining the latch C' in place. 'ly pulling the lower ends of the tumbler-lever in combination ibrward, as shown at Fig. 3, the lockingdever C is let down a' su'liicient distance to discngage the latch C' from the catch Ii, permitting the drawer or till to be easily opened; but if the lower ends of any of the lever-tumblers not in combination are pulled forward at the saine time with those in combination, they pass un der the front edge of the locking-lever C and prevent its dropping, so as to discuga-ge the latch G' from the catch K, and the drawer remains locked. rFhe latch C' operates simply in closing the t-ill, as when the till is being closed as it passes under the catch Ii the front end of it is pressed down by K, :.illowing it to pass over C' freely, when it falls back into place by the weight of its longer arm automatt cally. To change the combination of levertumblers to be used in unlocking the till, any one or more of the lever-tumblers D D', Src., can be raised up and carried forward or baekward, as the case may be, a sufficient distance to seat it or them on the supporting-rod E in the opposite bearing of the U -shaped opening el cl'in the lever-tumblers D D'. For example, if a level-tumbler is seated on the rod E in the bearing d of the U-shaped opening, and is raised and set over so that the bcarin g d' rests on the rod E, the lever-tumbler so arranged is in the combination as shown in the drawings.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. et a similar effect is produced by changing the bearing E' of the lever-tumbler D from its seat d to d, and `vice versa. Thus far I have described the-locking portion of my invention only without reference to the alarm portion of it. For operating the alarm the lock-frame A A' oscillatcs on the bearings p p' in the ears l? P' on the bed-plate of the lock B, and is retained in its normal position,

as shown in the drawings, by the springs I I', the. Upon the step of the bed-plate B, bell fhammer G', on

S, cast on one side is hung the arm Gr of the a suitable stud-pin for that purpose. The longer portion of the arm G has attached thereto a spring, H, one end of which is attached to lug on the bcd-plate B. On the outside of the oscillating frameplate A, I cast a boss around the hole for the rod E, this boss extending outward a su llicient distance to form a bearing :for t-he hooked Alever F.

has a main arm extending forward horizontally a sui'lieient distance, so that the hook thereon engages the shorter arm of the bellhammer arm G. The hooked arm F has also au arm, F', extending downward toward thebed1 plate B. Upon the bcd-plate I3 and baek oi the arm F', I cast a projection, Z), extending upward a sufficient distance to engage the arm F', this projection b being back far enough to permit the hooked arm F to be drawn back some distance before the arm F' and the pro- `iection Z engage eachother. In operating the lock, when the proper combination of levertumblers is pulled the till opens freely, and the oscillating frame A A remains undisturbed in its normal position, as shown in the dra-nrings, but any attempt to pull open the till without using' the proper combinatiomso as to iirst disengage the latch C' on the locking lever C from the catch K in the tillcovcr, forces the oscillating frame A A back from its :normal position, pulling with it the hooked arm F, ,which draws back the arm G- ot'4 the bellhammer G', with which it engages until the arm F' strikes the proiection b on the bed-plate I5, which immediately trips the hooked lever F, freeing the arm G, the spring II of which causes the hammer G' to strike a sharp blow upon the gong, (not shown in the d rawings,) when the strain upon the Atill is released. The tension of the springs I I', &c acting upon the frame A A', causes it to immediately resume its normal position, and the hooked lever F to again engage the arm G ot' the bcll ham mer G', ready to again ring an alarm at any time the till is attempted to be opened with out using the proper combination.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

i l. In a till ala1'm.locl-:,tlie lever-tumblers D D', Cre., having U-shaped openings forining two bearings, t d', upon which they alternately rest upon a support, E, according as they are in or out of combination, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a till alarm-lock, thelever-tumblers I) D',&c. provided with two poi nts ol oscillation resting upon a bearing, E, and kept in place by springs I I', &c., in combination with a lock ing-lever, C, pivoted in the frame A A', and having a latch, C', thereon, substantially :is and operating as described and set forth.

3. Ina till alarm-lock, the bed-plate .I3 and the oscillating lock .frame A A' hung thereon,

in combination with lever-tumblers .D D', Afe., the locking-lever C, and a catch operating the lever ofthe bellhammer,the locking-lever and This lever F is constructed with a bearing to fit over theboss on the plate A, and

IIO

erating together substantially as and for the purpose set forth. ro

In testimony whereof I have signed my name hereto.

JOHN C. STURGEON.

Witnesses:

SELDEN MARVIN, W. R. EDELEN. 

